AA Attitude toward Hapas | Asian American Poll

AA ATTITUDE TOWARD HAPAS
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:16:06 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Assuming you are Asian American, which best describes your feeling toward Hapas (persons with one Asian parent)?
I find them more attractive than pure Asians. | 38%
I find them less attractive than pure Asians. | 11%
I find them equally attractive as other Asian Americans. | 13%
They put me off by seeming more white than Asian. | 28%
I am never quite sure how to relate to them. | 10%

Assuming you are a Hapa, which best describes your own feelings?
I am most comfortable with Asians. | 38%
I am most comfortable with Whites. | 33%
I am most comfortable around other Hapas. | 6%
I am equally comfortable with Asians and Whites. | 23%

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

Princess Charming: Actually, the region in China known for beautiful skin is Shanxi. The province is in the heart of the country. It's been known throughout China that people from that region have pretty skin.
Christine Monday, December 02, 2002 at 09:52:24 (PST) [141.151.12.11]

Uninformed:
One of my best pals is half-Japanese and had a 'fro. He's bald now, but he had it once. His father had one too. Looked like an asian Gabe Kaplan....

I'm a hapa. I don't know about the whole "what looks better?" debate, it seems to be only a matter of personal preference (agreed, Beauty Everywhere). Since I have gotten to SoCal, everybody thinks I'm white anyway. I don't get it. In the Pacific NW, people seem to be able to tell the difference. Down here, only other AA's would know or even ask.

Makes me feel like I'm in limbo or something.

However, when I am approached by a pure AA, I tend to get treated like a member of the same 'team'. In the circles I travel, there are very few of us (the "industry"), so that kind of brotherhood is welcome and comforting, especially when I am used to being around more AA's like when I was growing up.
Uprooted Monday, December 02, 2002 at 07:49:32 (PST) [66.14.62.2]

Now when I come to think about it, within the hapa world there are those who get the best of both worlds, other worst of both worlsds. But most get both the good and bad of both worlds, for example, blue eyes but ugly aqualin nose from caucasian side, gorgeous eyes yet raid hair from asian side.

Within the pure world, there are those who get the best of both parents, other the worst from both. And a good majority both good and bad from the 2 parents.

ppl usually pay more attention to hapa, so the ‘best of both’ thing is attributed to them. Because IR thing which has been unfamiliar, curiosity-arousing… draw more attention from both cuacasians and asians than anything ‘pure’.The truth is within any group of people, there are always individuals who physically get the either best of both parents, or the worst. That is why beauty and ugliness comes in every ethnicity.

When it comes to hapa, I think ‘best of both worlds’ allude mostly to cultural factor. Culturally a hapa is opened to 2 cultures…like knowing both english and chinese for example. That is an edge they have.
All humans are the same Monday, December 02, 2002 at 07:43:56 (PST) [61.11.245.7]

I haven't seen too many asians with naturally curly hair...It's rare but it's there.
I think asian women are beautiful but what makes asian women beautiful doesn't work for asian men. Smooth skin, delicate noses, small lips look good on women but not on guys. The guys end up looking very feminine.

To K: I feel caucasian. As for how I look, people always ask "Are you half chinese?" But I act and dress "white".
hulagirl Monday, December 02, 2002 at 07:19:42 (PST) [64.51.170.210]

to beauty everywhere: that's very true. every race has their beauty just like evry individual has their beauty.

to K: i dont want to get bogged down by petty arguements either. what a coincidence! my point is NOT that hapas r superior in any way. i meant that individuals do not represent their race. not every person in a race has the same amount of beauty. movie stars are not the most beautiful of their race either. that arguement has no validity. MY point is that no race is more beautiful than another. It is impossible to guage a race's beauty anyway since beauty is subjective. to me, all races have beautiful individuals and ugly individals. No kind of beauty is better than others. People of the same race can have totally different features. Anybody who goes on and on about how hapas/asians are SO much more beautiful than hapas/asians has identity problems and just wants to feel better about themselves. are we settled?
Half Chyna Doll Sunday, December 01, 2002 at 12:29:09 (PST) [66.147.147.179]

[to K: ur a little confused. yes i think that hapas are beautiful... notice i said that i never said that hapas are MORE beautiful.]

C'mon, Half Chyna Doll, don't give in just because this is an Asian dominated website. I know deep down inside you think that hapas are often better-looking than pure Asians.
This is one of the primary reasons I made the transission from Average Azns to Hapa Hotties.
Hapa Heart-throb Sunday, December 01, 2002 at 12:03:21 (PST) [66.230.38.203]

A lot of se asians have curly hair but i’ve never seen a korean or chinese w/ curly (not counting the hair done).
azn hair Friday, November 29, 2002 at 20:29:53 (PST) [61.11.245.7]

"I am a hapa with brown curly hair. i was just wondering if pure asians ever have hair that is anything but straight. In my experience, i have never seen any asian person who's hair wasn't perfectly straight. Has anybody ever seen an asian w/ curly hair?
uninformed"

Yeah, my father's side of the family has natural curly hair, and I have a little of it.
another voice Friday, November 29, 2002 at 12:12:43 (PST) [68.9.169.159]

Princess Charming:

quite true about shanghainese people. They probably the most perfect skin. The girls look like their skin are indeed made of porcelain or jade. That is also why their hands are sooo beautiful. Chinese girls have the most beautiful hands i've ever seen!!!
k Friday, November 29, 2002 at 07:15:43 (PST) [61.11.245.7]

I quite agree w/Princess Charming about snow white looking most asian . I think asian women have very beautiful eyes. The eyes are small yet long( the shape of a phoenix, very classy and aristocratic looking), intense. Dark eyes are beautiful and soulful cos the dark color always s make the pupil appear bigger, plus the small shape of the eyes make it look that way. A lot of caucasians and hapas look like their eyes are about to jump out of the eyesockets. Delicate nose ( not big, rough nose). Small , full cherry lips (i think big mouth are gross…!!!!!!!!!! But it’s just me!!!). Lily and smooth white skin ( w/o zits) . all of which fit the beauty standards in asian culture. Asian women have smooth and delicate features..that’s what makes them look so feminine and youthfool. In general caucasian face are quite angular. Of course hapas who have overwhelming ly asian features possess this precious beauty.

Don’t get me wrong…hapas are defintely very exotic and unique looking. But i believe asians possess the beauty what hapa, caucasians and women of any other race hardly could, just like caucasians and asians could not look the way hapa look. black women have the beauty no other women could have.

In short, every race has their uniqueness. Asian beauty is to die for. And Hapa beauty is envying.
Arguing beauty is talking one of the most subjective topic.

beauty everywhere Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 07:39:35 (PST) [203.162.15.166]

I've even seen a Chinese chick from Canada with a natural Asian-"Grandma fro'". She hated it, but it was notable nonetheless. I guess natural Asian fros are rare, but they do exist.
Yep Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 01:09:50 (PST) [128.253.186.46]

I'm Korean, and I have a definate wave in my hair. So does my dad. My mom has naturally razor straight hair.
Some of us have curls Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 01:08:45 (PST) [128.253.186.46]

Uninformed,
Yes, I have seen quite a number of Asian with curly hair. My aunt is one of them. She was born with curly brown hair.
Malaysian Chinese Girl?? Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 20:54:59 (PST) [61.6.58.72]

uniformed,
Lots of full-blooded South Asians and Middle Easterners have curly or wavy hair.
A small percentage of full-blooded East/Southeast Asians have curly/wazy hair as well.
TAG Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 15:10:13 (PST) [140.254.26.25]

uninformed:

It's not that rare really...I'm an asian girl who has wavy hair...it's curvy if i cut my hair short. A lot of viets and pinays have curly, coarse hair. I inherit my hair from my Dad who is korean...some people comment on my hair being 'western', wavy, soft, not raid at all. However i hate it. i straighten my hair all the time.i think asians always look good and young w/ straight hair.

curly hair is not common among asians but it's not rare either. You will see quite a few.

huala girl:

i'm sorry for what you have to endure. it's true that asians seem to be more conservative regarding this hapa issue. just curious, do you feel asian?
k Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 14:27:27 (PST) [61.11.245.7]

Half chyna doll:

I don't ant to get bogged down w/ petty arguments. so what is your point exactly...this is what i don't get. You point is hapa are physically superior?
My god i don't want to track down old posts...
k Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 14:08:26 (PST) [61.11.245.7]

I am a hapa with brown curly hair. i was just wondering if pure asians ever have hair that is anything but straight. In my experience, i have never seen any asian person who's hair wasn't perfectly straight. Has anybody ever seen an asian w/ curly hair?
uninformed Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 09:07:03 (PST) [24.91.227.153]

What's with all the "~~~~~~~~~~" ?

Are you epileptic? Is it so bad that your violent convulsions show thru even on the computer screen?

Calm down already. But point taken about Shanghainese ppl.
Geez Monday, November 25, 2002 at 23:50:09 (PST) [128.253.186.46]

to K: maybe i wrote ambiguously or you misunderstood but i dont change my opinions easily. i agree. many hapas are biased and promote themselves to feel more worthy ( this is true of all races as well). Your examples of film stars are misleading because they are individuals not representatives for their race!
Half Chyna Doll Monday, November 25, 2002 at 22:37:32 (PST) [66.147.147.36]

To Northern Hapa: Do you find yourself being treated with any hostility or rudeness from full asians? I'm half filipino and find that a lot of asians don't know how to deal with me. I also think that many of the Japanese that you meet are jealous of you b/c it seems that most Japanese people want to be white.

Asian women are the meanest. I live near a university and there are FOB's, preppies, and girls in glitter bebe t-shirts everywhere and they're all rude. I think they either: 1) don't want to associate with me because I am not "white enough", since most asians I've met try so hard to be "white". Or 2) they're jealous because I got the best of both worlds.

White people seem more fasinated by my heritage, while asians seem put off by it.

What's really interesting is to meet hapas who are of the same asian descent, but have a different caucasian background. I know 4 other half filipinos...two look native american, one looks german, one looks samoan, and I dont look like any of them! Go figure.
hula girl Monday, November 25, 2002 at 09:42:44 (PST) [64.51.170.210]

Northern Hapa~

I liked your comparison of yourself to Snow-white~
:)
But did you know that Snow-white was full-blooded Chinese~~?
Black hair~~~white skin~~~red lips~~~
Only Chinese~~~especially the ones from Shanghai~~~have WHITE WHITE skin~~~like paper white~~~unlike Caucasians who are more pink than they are really white-looking~~~and many Shanghai girls I have seen have like natural red cherry lips that does not require lipstick~~~

Many hapas I know look a lot like Hispanics~~~as far as skin-tone~~~
Don't get me wrong~~~I think that hapas are really exotic~~~very pretty~~~.
Princess Charming... Sunday, November 24, 2002 at 12:00:14 (PST) [67.241.42.209]

Northern hapa:

Not really. you can chalk it up to jealousy (which is the only reason a hapa biased person could explain as to why there are people who don't view hapas as 'beautifuller).is tia carrera
rera is more beautiful than Gyneth Palthrow or Gong Li. USre there are ppl who agree but tons of others who don't.

actually the truly beautiful and perfect looking women i have seen are asians.
It's human nature that we always inclined to promote our physical, cultural, psychological traits to make them appear superior to those of other ppl. I think this go for pure ppl too.

exotic, not necessarily physically superior.
k Sunday, November 24, 2002 at 09:23:39 (PST) [61.11.245.5]

The evil queen asked, "Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the most beautiful of them all?" The mirror said that it was Snow White, with black hair, white skin, and lips of red. That angered the evil queen, who couldn't stand the idea of someone being more beautiful than her.

I'm 50/50 Japanese/Caucasian descent, now fourth generation on this continent on asian side. Attitudes and biases differ depending where you live. As it relates to the story of Snow White, you might be surprised with what I've observed.

In the countryside where I grew up, there were few asian people. The country Japanese usually intermarry with caucasians. People were very interested in the fact that I was hapa (or 'half' as they know it). Being hapa made me exotic to the caucasian country folk, just like the seven dwarfs, who'd never seen such a creature as Snow White. Being hapa therefore was normal and also had some cred. I'd often been complimented on my jet black hair and ability to look great in red. Caucasian and asian parents were often told "Your children will be so beautiful!"

However, in the city where I live now, I am not considered exotic due the presense of many full asians, and more intimidating to caucasians who are wary of the high sensitivity to racism by the asian minority who live in the city. In addition, I was exposed to urban Japanese, who do not really approve of intermarriage and consider hapa to be a sympton of cultural destruction (Ie., hapas have utterly lost their heritages. Not true, and my family's preserved japanese culture is truly antique, nearly 100 years old now and certainly not the same as what exists in Japan! With the added incongruity of thinking bagpipes sound good). To these Japanese I certainly appear half-rate! Like the Queen, they would find the idea that I am 'beautifuller' very unacceptable.

All I know is that I sure look great when I put on my lipstick. And my handsome prince thinks so too.
Northern Hapa Sunday, November 24, 2002 at 01:28:10 (PST) [142.173.62.59]

half chyan doll:

hehe i gues my memory is really sharp...anyway...i may sound like i want to rain on your parade...Yes i'm very sure you said that but rummaging through pages to find the post would take time. If i have time yes ... people said diffrent things at different times this i understand so i'm not holding it against you.
k Thursday, November 21, 2002 at 14:44:00 (PST) [61.11.245.8]

to K: ur a little confused. yes i think that hapas are beautiful... notice i said that i never said that hapas are MORE beautiful. we're different and more unique but not better or worse on the whole. im pointing out that not all haps are beautiful. i dont remember the best or worst of both worlds subject. perhaps u could refresh my memory?

to my 2 cents: your metaphors are confusing and vaguely disturbing. I agree that that's life. every race has its hang-ups and shit they have to take.

to yeah: i havent noticed the height difference much. i know some tall hapa guys. hapas r generally shorter than caucasians because of asian blood, but i think we're prob the same as asians (as far as caucasian-asian mix).

now that i think about it hapa beauty stems from unique and exotic looks more than from classical beauty. a hapa face is interesting to look at because it is puzzling. u cant quite tell what race some are and people are intrigued by it.
Half Chyna Doll Wednesday, November 20, 2002 at 21:30:59 (PST) [66.243.97.198]

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